Hose puller and wringer.



PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906. I J. A. BRITTON.

HOSE FULLER AND WRINGER.

. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1905,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Jmar (a fizz/0 No. 810,259. PAITENTED JAN. 16, 1906. J. A. BRITTON.

HOSE FULLER AND WRINGER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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No. 810,259. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

' J. A. BRITTON.

HOSE FULLER AND WRINGEB.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 28,, 1905.

a SHEETS-SHEET s.

UNITED sTATns JAMES A. BRITTON, BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

HOSE PULLER AND WRlNGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed January 28, 1905! Serial No. 243,302.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. BRITTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spring street, Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hose Pullers and Wringers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in hose pullers and wringers, and is designed more particularly for use in connection with fire-hose.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a device which will serve to wring out the excess moisture and by which the hose .may be drawn to the hose-carriage and reeled or folded without the necessity of the firemen touching the same while in a soiled condition; further, to provide a device which will perform these operations in the simplest and most eflicient manner, which may be easily and conveniently manipulated, and which embodies means for preventing shock or injury to the operator from electrical currents in the event of the frame of the device being accidentally brought into contact or circuit with a stray live conducting-wire.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists of the features of construction, combination, and arrangements of parts hereinafter fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevational view of the device looking toward that side on which the drive-gearing for the drums is located. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device. Fig. 3 is a central vertical frontto-rear section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-section through the driving-drum on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 looking toward the opposite side of the device. Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 of the pres sure-drum, taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the spring support and adjuster. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a sectional plan view on the line 10 10 of Fig. 3, showing the construction of the swinging frame carrying the upper drum, the drums being omitted.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 represents a supporting-frame comprising a base 2 and side pieces 3, united by an upper cross-piece 4. The

side pieces 3 are in' the nature of standards whose upper and lower portions are disposed in different vertical planes, the upper portion being in rear of the plane of the lower portion and joined at its lower end to the upper rear edge of said lower portion, the upper front edges of the lower portions providing supporting seats or shoulders 5 for a purpose hereinafter described. Mounted in the lower portions of the side piece is a transverse shaft 6, upon which is mounted a driving-drum 7, said drum being arranged between the side pieces 3. The drum 7 is of novel construction, being composed of a hub or core consisting of two sections 8 of cup form, said sections having their bases in abutting contact and their side walls preferably outwardly flared to form clamping rim edges 9, the bases of the said sections 8 being apertured for the passage of the shaft 6. The shaft 6 is provided with a fixed collar or head 10, seated in the receiving cup or socket of one of the sections, and is threaded, as indicated at 11, for the reception of a nut 12, which is seated in the socket of the other section and bears against the base thereof, thus clamping the two sections 8 together. The said sections 8 of the hub or core extend inwardly through central openings 13 in dished guard-flanges 14, the concave sides of which are outwardly directed, and which flanges are provided with outwardly-flared rim edges 15, which serve as guards and guides to direct the hose of the drum and prevent it from running off the drum. About the hub of the wheel and be tween the guard flanges is disposed the wheel-rim 16, which is divided centrally at right angles to its axis, forming sections 17, which are clamped between the guard-flanges and rims 9 of the hub-sections and secured thereto by rivets or analogous fastenings 18, which pass outwardly at an angle through the overlapping edges of the guard-flanges and hub-sections and securely connect the parts together. Preferably the rim-sections 17 are made of soft vulcanized rubber and are concaved to form a groove to receive the hose, the walls of the groove being provided with flanges or ribs 19 to engage the hose and secure a positive gripping action thereon, the yielding nature of the hub permitting it to grip the hose with the necessary degree of firmness without injury thereto. This construction of drum permits of ready repairs when any of the parts thereof become worn IIO or injured and in practice will be found most efficient for a simultaneous gripping, feeding, and expressing action on the hose.

Mounted between the upper portions of the side pieces 3 is a frame 20, comprising side pieces 21, connected near their rear ends by a transverse brace 22 and at their forward ends by a U or yoke shaped handle 23, having a grip ing portion 24, composed of a ferrule of ru ber or other suitable non-conductive material. The rear ends of the side pieces 21 are pivotally mounted upon bolts 25, extending through the side pieces 3, so that the frame 20 may swing vertically. J ournaled in the forward ends of the said side pieces 21 is a transverse shaft 26, carrying a pressure-drum 27 of the construction shown in detail in Fig. 6, said drum consisting of hub-sections 27 of cup or socket form having right-angularly-disposed flanges 28, forming an annular receiving-channel for the reception of the drum-rim, which latter is composed of sections 29, of soft vulcanized rubber, said sections being properly grooved and provided with gripping-flanges 30 and also provided with side flanges 31, which are secured to the said side flanges 28 of the hub-section by rivets .or analogous fastenings 32. The rim in this instance corres onds approximately to the construction of t e rim of the drivingdrum shown in detail in Fig. 4 and is made of similar material, so as to institute a yielding gripping pressure on the hose, the combined gripping and feed action of the two drums causing the production of a device which will effectually pull the hose and express the excess moisture from the same.

One end of the shaft 6 projects outwardly from the frame and carries a fixed s rocketwheel 33, and on the adjacent on of the shaft 26 above is a similar sprocket-wheel 34. A sprocket chain passes around the sprocket-wheel 33 and also around a similar sprocket-wheel 36, j ournaled on the short shaft 37, fixed to a bracket 38, adjustably attached to the upper ends of the contiguous side piece 3. The rear stretch of the chain betweenthe said two s rocket-wheels runs in contact with an idle ro ler 38, while the forward stretch thereof engages the rear toothed peripheral portion of the sprocket-wheel 34, the said front stretch of the chain being deflected by said wheel 34, and thereby maintained under tension for a purpose presently described. The bracket 38 is adjustably mounted upon the frame, having formed therein a series of elongated slots 39 for the reception of bolts 40, passing through the adjacent side piece 3, said slots permitting said bracket to be adjusted up and down to compensate for any slackness in the chain 35 and adjust the same to the desired tension. On the bolts 40 are nuts 40, whereby the bolts may be drawn upon to clamp the bracket 38 firmly to the frame. In order to facilitate the adjustment of said brackets, an adjusting .device is provided, consisting of a screw 41,

mounted for rotation in a flanged supportingpiece 42, carried by the frame 1 and attached at its upper end to a lug or projection 43, ex tending from the bracket 38, said screw being provided between said supportingiece and ug with a head 44, whereby it may e adjusted to raise and lower the bracket, and a nut to secure it in adjusted position.

On the upper rear portions of the side pieces or standards 3 bosses 46 are formed, and through these bosses extend the pivotbolts 2.5 on which the swinging frame 20 is mounted, said bolts carrying at their outer ends clamping-nuts 47. Surrounding each boss .46 is a coil-spring 48, having a forwardlyprojecting arm 49, secured at its free end to an annular bracket 50, secured to the front end of the contiguous side piece 21 of the frame 20, the opposite end of said spring being hooked to engage a lug on an adjustinghead 51, journaled on the bolt 25 and adapted to be clamped in fixed position by the nut 47. The meeting faces of the boss 46 and head 51 are formed with interlocking teeth or serrations, whereby the head 51 may be locked in adjusted position when the nut 47 is tightened up. When the nut is loosened,

the head 51 may be turned in one direction 5 or the other to increase or diminish the tension of the spring, as will be readily understood. In the face of the head 51 are formed openings 52 for the reception of a suitable key or tool by which said head maybe turned. It will thus be seen that as the arms of the two coil-springs are connected to the forward end of the ivot-frame 20 the pressure of said springs wiff be exerted to normally force the pressure-drum downward or toward the driving-drum, thus securing the desired pressure to cause the hose to be fed forward when the drums are rotated. These springs yield sufficiently as the couplings on the hose pass through the drums to allow the coupling to pass free through said drums, thus preventing any interference with the movement of the hose. As the pressure-drum rises and falls the forward stretch of the driving-chain, which, as stated, is under tension, rises and falls therewith, and thus maintains contact with the sprocket-wheel 34, so that when the drive-gearmg is actuated both drums will be driven in unison.

On the extended end of the shaft 6 is an operating-crank 53, carrying a suitable actuatin -handle 54, the gripping portion of which is ormed of suitable insulating material. In practice the device is operated in an obvious manner, and it will be understood that the handle 23 may be used to force the frame 20 downward to increase the ressure of the pressure-roller, if desired. y making the gripping portions of these two handles of insulating material the firemen operating the position and to cushion the impact when the roller is forced downward by the springs after passing over the coupling of a hose. The

. crank-handle 53 may be held in inoperative position by means of a hook 56 upon the end of a suspension-chain 57, suitably fastened to the frame 1.

In practice my improved hose puller and wringer is designed to be carried by the hose carriage or wagon, as the case may be. After a hose has been used at a fire the same may be washed by means of a mechanical hosewasher, such as described in Letters Patent No. 689,059, granted to me December 17, 1901, and as the hose leaves the washer the same is passed between the two drums, the springs serving to maintain pressure between said drums to cause the hose to be fed forward when the drums are rotated.

The advantages of my invention are at once apparent to those skilled in the art to which it appertains. It will be particularly noted that my invention is simple in construction and of such compact form that the same may readily be carried by a hose-carriage or a hose-wagon, that all excess moisture is usually driven out of the hose as it passes between the drums, that provision is made for the ready passage of obstructions, and that a yielding pressure is exerted upon the hose. It will also be noted that while I have described my invention as particularly adapted for use in connection with the washing of fire-hose, yet I do not limit myself to such use nor to its use in fire apparatus, as

the same may be of use in any machine, the.

invention being primarily designed to avoid the touching of the hose of any character while in a soiled condition.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A hose puller and wringer comprising a vertical supporting-frame having its upper' portion disposed in rear of the plane of its lower portion, said frame being provided at the-front with stop-shoulders at the junction of said portions, a drive-shaft journaled in the lower portion of the frame and carrying a driving-drum, a sprocket-wheel and operating means, a vertically-swinging frame pivotally mounted in the upper portion of the supporting-frame and adapted to engage said sto s at the limit of its downward movement, a s aft journaled at the front of said pivoted frame and carrying a pressuredrum and a sprocket-wheel, a handle connected to the forward portion of the pivoted frame, a sprocket-wheel adjustably mounted upon the upper portion of the frame, a chain passing around said s rocket wheel and the sprocket-Wheel on t e drive-shaft and having one of its stretches engaging the sprocketwheel on the shaft of the pressure-drum, spring-arms attached at their forward ends to the front portion of the swinging frame to force the pressure-drum toward the drivingdrum, and means adjustably connecting the rear ends of the spring-arms to the supporting-frame, whereby the pressure of said arms may be varied. v

2. A device of the character described, comprising a frame, a stationary drum, a second drum movable toward and from the first drum, apivoted support for said second drum, pressure devices comprising coil-springs having arms connected to and acting on said pivoted supports, and means associated with the coils of the springs for controlling the pressure and resistance thereof.

3. Adevice of the character described, comprising a frame, a stationary drum mounted therein, a second drum movable toward and fromthe first-named drum, a pivot-support for said first-named drum, bosses on the frame, coil-springs engaging said bosses and having arms connected with the pivoted support, heads for adjusting said springs, said eads being adapted to interlock with the bosses, and means for holding the heads in interlocking engagement.

4. In a device of the character described, a drum having a sectional hub composed of counterpart members provided with flanges forming a concaved seat, a concaved sectional rim formed of counterpart members seated between said flanges, a shaft extending through the hub, and means associated with said shaft for holding the counterpart hub and rim parts in assembled relation.

5. In a device of the character described, a drum having a sectional hub comprising counterpart cup shaped members having their closed ends in abutting relation and their open ends provided with flanges forming a concaved seat, a concaved sectional rim formed of counterpart members occupying said seat and secured to said flanges, a shaft extending through the closed abutting ends of the head-sections, and means upon the shaft within the sockets of said section for clamping the same in assembled relation.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. BRITTON.

Witnesses WILLIAM J. FINK, GEO. L. BAUM. 

